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I own a 100+ year old Victorian Home, which I am restoring and remodeling. I am in the process of replacing hardwood floors, old floors beyond repairs. On part of the home I have stripped out all old hardwood floors. The old subfloor is 3/4″ (well more like 7/8″) pine boards of different widths The gaps between boards are 1/4″ to 3/4″. I renailed all boards and also screwed boards down with Teflon deck screws. I was trying to get rid of squeaks in floor. I have two problems to solve yet. 1. The boards are not perfect; the floor is not perfectly flat surface varies 1/16th to and 1/8th . 2. I am now concerned with nailing new floor (the new hardwood floor) into joist, with all the screws and nails used in old subfloor I am afraid I will hit these nails and screws while nailing new floor.
The original floor was nailed over this subfloor, why can’t I do the same?
Does the nailing of hardwood floors need to be into the joist or can you just nail into the boards?
I thought of installing another layer of subflooring, but when I get to foyer we have the problems of the stairs, tread height is off. Replacing old subfloor is a real pain walls sit on top of it. I thought of replacing center part of room with new subfloor, this would take a lot of shimming since new subfloor would be ¾” and meeting old at 7/8ths+. Also thought of shimming right over old subfloor with 30# felt, which would be like a puzzle.
Just how even does subfloor need to be for installation of hardwood floor over it?
I welcome any suggestions. Help! Niles
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Replies
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Niles, as long as you're applying a unfinished wood floor, the minor (1/16 inch) etc... variations will sand out prior to finishing. Yes you DO nail into the subfloor too.
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George, When nailing the hardwood floor (1/2" maple) does the floor needed to be nailed down into floor joist or is just nailing to subfloor (3/4" pine) boards enough? I double up all floor joist with douglas fur so all sags are gone. I thought now I can nail down through subfloor and into these joist. How long are the nails will they even reach the joist.
thanks for reply. I am a novice when it comes to hardwood floors. Niles
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Niles, I'd use a hardwood flooring nailer such as Porta-nail or Primatech with the appropriate T-head barbed floor nail, 2 inch is standard. You usually can purchase one for $250 +/- with a box of nails going for $13 to $15 for 2000 nails. Many flooring distributors or tool rental centers will rent a floor nailer to you, either by a fixed fee per day or for a given number of days for a fee. Often, the Flooring Distributor will toss in the nailer rental with a decent size order for materials.
Good Luck.
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I plan on laying 1x8 pine floors in a cabin I have built. It will be installed over a plywood sub floor. The pine is not T&G milled. Should I
leave a space between the planks for expansion.
I was going to use black drywall screws to secure
them. What is the best screw lay out for this or
should I try to use a nail gun instead.What should
I use as a underlaying material.
*I plan on laying 1x8 pine floors in a cabin I have built. It will be installed over a plywood sub floor. The pine is not T&G milled. Should I leave a space between the planks for expansion.I was going to use black drywall screws to securethem. What is the best screw lay out for this orshould I try to use a nail gun instead.What shouldI use as a underlaying material.
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Eddie,
I don't think I would bother with a space with 1x8 pine. It'll proably shrink rather than grow in the long run. A couple of good heating seasons will dry it out more than you realize.
I did 1x8/1x10/1x12 random width pine and face-nailed it with square cut nails for old-fashioned look. Used 2 nails on the 1x8 and 1x10 and three nails on the 1x12. Nails at joists only. I laid them touching each other, but not jammed up tight. No problems two years later.
It really depends on how wet the wood is when you get it. Put in the room for at least a week before you start laying it. If you really want to get technical you can get a moisture meter and wait till the flooring reads what moisture content is right for your area. JLC just published a chart on what it should be for different areas of the country.
Steve
*Hey you flooring experts,Here's one for you:I'm laying random-width (4/5/6") cherry flooring, t&g, endmatched, over an area that has a change in direction of the floor joists halfway across the room. What should I do for the half of the room where the flooring must run parallel to the joists? I can't add more subfloor because I have a staircase to deal with as well.Can I just nail the bejeesus out of it into the 3/4 ply subfloor?Steve
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Steve,
When I run flooring and am concerned about the structural integrity of the fasteners I bed the planks in PL200 adhesive. It's cheap insurance and you don't have to worry about splitting the tongue off the plank.
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Eddie,
Don't use dry wall screws. They can stain if you have enough humidity (usually higher near the floor) and aren't that strong. If you must use screws use deck or stainless.
Steve,
If in doubt use ring shank or screw shank. Just be sure it's where you want the board 'cause it ain't comin out.
*Rob,I was gonna use a Porta-Nailer. That leaves me no option for ring-shank or screw shank, right?Steve
*Steve,I don't think so. I rember seeing rings on some square flooring nails. Check & see, I bet you can get 'em.
*Steve, some adhesive as was mentioned above, and the Port-a-Nailer uses a barbed floor nail to begin with. I prefer the Primatech T-head nails as they drive better.
*Eddie, two things: You can always start a fresh post rather than hop on an old one...Secondly, Steve's technique of nailing with old fashioned cut nails will give you a better result. Use either red rosin paper or 15# asphaltic felt as underlayment, with 2 or 2 1/2 inch cut or wrought nails.
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I own a 100+ year old Victorian Home, which I am restoring and remodeling. I am in the process of replacing hardwood floors, old floors beyond repairs. On part of the home I have stripped out all old hardwood floors. The old subfloor is 3/4" (well more like 7/8") pine boards of different widths The gaps between boards are 1/4" to 3/4". I renailed all boards and also screwed boards down with Teflon deck screws. I was trying to get rid of squeaks in floor. I have two problems to solve yet. 1. The boards are not perfect; the floor is not perfectly flat surface varies 1/16th to and 1/8th . 2. I am now concerned with nailing new floor (the new hardwood floor) into joist, with all the screws and nails used in old subfloor I am afraid I will hit these nails and screws while nailing new floor.
The original floor was nailed over this subfloor, why can't I do the same?
Does the nailing of hardwood floors need to be into the joist or can you just nail into the boards?
I thought of installing another layer of subflooring, but when I get to foyer we have the problems of the stairs, tread height is off. Replacing old subfloor is a real pain walls sit on top of it. I thought of replacing center part of room with new subfloor, this would take a lot of shimming since new subfloor would be ¾" and meeting old at 7/8ths+. Also thought of shimming right over old subfloor with 30# felt, which would be like a puzzle.
Just how even does subfloor need to be for installation of hardwood floor over it?
I welcome any suggestions. Help! Niles